Durfee boys headed to postseason after defeating New Bedford

FALL RIVER - The Durfee Hilltoppers secured a tournament berth Friday night as they took down rival New Bedford Whalers 70-69 on Senior Night.

“It’s a great win,” Durfee coach Jameson Guimond said. “We clinched our tournament berth beating our rival so everyone feels great at Durfee.”

Senior Nilin Nehra lead the Hilltoppers with 18 points, including four3-pointers, while freshman Jevon Holley had 14 and senior AB Medrano had 13.

Sophomore Kendal Franklin has 23 points including three 3-pointers for the Whalers.

Both teams started the night out trading threes, with Medrano hitting the long shot to open scoring for the Hilltoppers before junior Tyhon Pina sank one on the other end for the Whalers. The two traded shots for most of the quarter, with Nehra hitting a three pointer to retake the lead at 8-7 before senior Barron Hilton’s layup put New Bedford on top again. The Whalers put up six quick points in the final minute to go up 20-12, but a near buzzer beating three from Nehra brought the Hilltoppers back within five at the end of the quarter.

Nehra started off the second quarter just as he ended the first with another 3, but the Whalers responded again to push their lead to 22-18. For much of the second quarter, that was the story as the Hilltoppers put up points, but the Whalers built enough of a cushion to keep them at bay and went into the half up 36-32.

In the third quarter, play continued much of the same, with New Bedford going up eight after a 3-pointer from senior Kenneth Franklin and a shot from senior Barron Hilton, but another three from Nehra began a turnaround for Durfee, who battled back to retake the lead after a layup by Medrano put them on top 49-48. The Whalers quickly retook the lead off a Franklin steal and layup, but back to back threes from Medrano put the Hilltoppers ahead and they headed into the final quarter with a 55-53 lead.

In the fourth quarter, the defensive effort of the home team proved key, with senior Isaiah Morency stopping nearly every shot that came his way in the paint. They kept a slight lead over New Bedford, eventually going up by as many as seven, but the Whalers continued fighting on to draw themselves back within a score, but after a tying effort by Franklin on three free pointers came up short, the Hilltoppers held onto the ball for the 70-69 win l over their arch rival and tournament birth.

Durfee returns to action Saturday with an afternoon trip to Somerset Berkley.